HSE Annual Report 2010 (English) - WINTERSHALL

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WASTE AND WATER MANAGEMENT.
WASTE MANAGEMENT.
Waste emerges during the exploration and production
of crude oil and natural gas. We try to avoid
such waste wherever possible. Unavoidable waste
is recycled and disposed in line with regulations.
The amount of waste and its environmental impact
during recycling and disposal can be significantly
influenced by the source of generation. Wintershall
disposes of waste in due form and in an environmentally
friendly way, even where there is a lack of
public or private means of disposal. A large part of
the waste comes from former drilling mud pits,
which Wintershall is now recultivating and rehabilitating.
It is expected to complete this task by 2013.
WATER MANAGEMENT.
Production and waste water arise in the search for
and production of crude oil and natural gas. Production
water is removed from the oil or gas by
means of separator systems at the surface. After
being processed, the production water is reinjected
into the original reservoir. Other waste water is
produced in construction and operation of cavern
storage facilities, during cleaning work and in treating
water. Apart from that, there is also sanitary waste
water; however, this only accounts for a relatively
small proportion of the total amount of waste water.
Sanitary waste water is cleaned and disposed of
sensibly at locations where Wintershall is not connected
to the public sewerage system.
Wietingsmoor in Germany after recultivation